Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Here's one Englishman who takes the sins of his forebears very seriously.

Mr Andrew Hawkins from Plymouth, the United Kingdom, who claims to be a direct descendant of England’s first slave trader, Sir John Hawkins, will don yokes and chains at the forthcoming Roots International Festival in The Gambia to apologise for the actions of his famous ancestor.

He will be joining the lifeline expedition team, which has been journeying around with whites wearing yokes and chains while Africans and descendants of enslaved Africans accompany them. The Africans are also ready to apologise for selling their brothers and sisters to the European traders. This action is also a means of raising awareness of ongoing slavery and racism at the present time. [Link]

One cannot apologize for the actions of another and have the apology bear any value. This is just a cheap publicity stunt by all involved. What's next, someone apologizing on behalf of Cain for slaying Abel?